What if my Pico was in a car accident?Updated 5 months ago

Car seats are damaged in vehicle crashes, and in many cases, the car seat must be destroyed and replaced. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises that if a child restraint (car seat) has been used in a minor crash that the child restraint can continue to be used.

NHTSA defines a minor crash, which a car seat can continue to be used after, as a crash where ALL of the following apply:

• The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site.

• The vehicle door nearest the car seat was not damaged.

• None of the passengers in the vehicle sustained any injuries in the crash.

• If the vehicle has airbags, the airbags did not deploy during the crash, and

• There is no visible damage to the car seat.

Damage to car seats may be difficult to see, or it may be difficult to verify the damage to the car seat. For those situations where any of the NHTSA Child Restraint Re-use criteria has not been met, or if there is uncertainty about whether damage to the seat has occurred, NHTSA and WAYB advise parents or caregivers to replace their car seat.

Contact your insurance company for information on their policy regarding car seat replacement after a crash.